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Charles Onyango-Obbo

Mr Onyango-Obbo is a journalist, writer and curator of the Wall of Great Africans. Twitter: @cobbo3

AU suspends Sudan as African activists criticise junta

Wednesday October 27 2021

African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. PHOTO | AFP

Summary

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.
Activists across the continent, in an open letter, criticised the coup, calling on the AU to crack the whip.

By AGGREY MUTAMBO

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The African Union on Wednesday suspended troubled Sudan after the military forcibly took power and dissolved the transitional government.

The decision announced by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) means that Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU sessions or vote on crucial matters until it restores a civilian government.

“The AUPSC decides to suspend the participation of the Republic of Sudan in all AU activities until the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority,” a communique said after the 15-member Council met virtually on Tuesday and condemned the coup.

The Council, comprising of member states of the AU on a rotational basis, is a standing organ that works to prevent, manage or resolve conflicts on the continent. This month, Mozambique is the chair of the Council and was expected to send a delegation to Khartoum by the weekend to discuss the transition with the military chiefs.

Sudan’s military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday morning took power, arrested members of the transitional government under Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and imposed a state of emergency including shutting down the internet.

He reappeared in public on Tuesday promising to set a government “free of politics” and freed Dr Hamdok who had been detained with his wife. He rejected his decision as a coup, saying he had acted to safeguard the transition.

Suspending Sudan is routine though. The AU’s policy requires total disregard to “unconstitutional changes” in government and usually suspends members until they agree to return to civilian rule.

The Council said the AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat should “take necessary measures and intensify his engagement with the leaders of the Transitional Government and the Sovereign Council in order to facilitate the resumption of dialogue towards a successful transition in Sudan.”

That, the Council indicated, includes dispatching a team to Khartoum.

Crack the whip

The decision of the AU came even as activists across the continent criticised the coup, calling on the continental body to crack the whip.

In an open letter, more than 70 entities and individuals said Sudan’s junta had violated basic rights by denying them a chance to take part in the transition as well as suffering a communication blockade.

“These actions violate the AU Shared Values and specific provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance regarding unconstitutional changes of government.

“We note that the military takeover has negative consequences for Sudan’s transition into a democracy, a journey that had a major turning point in 2019 when civilians got rid of dictator Omar Hassan Al-Bashir through a peoples’ revolution,” they said in an open letter on Wednesday.

The junta also closed down the main airports and restricted the movement of people.

“These limitations on the rights and freedoms of the Sudanese people as well as other nationalities present in Sudan is in stark violation of both the Sudanese Constitution as well as African and International Human rights norms,” they said under their banner of ‘African citizens and its diaspora.’

They demanded that all of Hamdok’s ministers arrested on Monday be released, people allowed to picket and the military return power to civilians.

List

The groups included 40 civil society groups and 38 individual rights campaigners whose list is found here below.

A – Institutions

Advocacy Network for Africa, Washington DC, USA
AfricanDefenders (Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network)
African Union Watch, Banjul, The Gambia
African Women and Youth Initiative
African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)/ Réseau de Développement et de Communication des Femmes Africaines
African Women Leaders Forum (AWLF), Zimbabwe
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA), Kampala, Uganda
Chapter One Foundation, Lusaka, Zambia
Coalition for an effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACC), Arusha, Tanzania
Coalition Togolaise des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CTDDH), Lomé, Togo
DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT), Zimbabwe
DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Gaborone, Botswana
Eastern Africa Youth Empowerment on Peace and Security
Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives, Nigeria
HUDO Centre, Kampala, Uganda
Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)
Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme (IM2DH), Lomé, Togo
Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD), Zimbabwe
International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), Kampala, Uganda
Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi!, Nairobi, Kenya
Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI), Sudan
Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Nairobi, Kenya
Nawi – Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective, Nairobi, Kenya
Network of Independent Commissions for Human Rights in North Africa
Nubsud Human Rights Monitors Organization (NHRMO), Sudan
OnetoAll Foundation, Meru, Kenya
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association
Oromo Professionals Group (OPG), Washington DC
Rape Hurts Foundation, Uganda
Pan African Citizens Network (PACIN)
Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), Arusha, Tanzania
Pan African Law and Justice Initiative, Kenya
Panos Institute Southern Africa
Plateforme de la Diaspora Tchadienne en Amerique
Southern Defenders (Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network)
Wakiso District Human Rights Committee, Uganda
Yearning Voices Foundation (YVF)
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Harare, Zimbabwe

B – Individuals

Abel K. Walendom, Co-Facilitator, Plateforme de la Diaspora Tchadienne en Amerique
Abdalla Komi Kodi, Executive Director, Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI), Sudan
Achieng’ Akena, PanAfricanist, Uganda
Adaobi Egboka, Human Rights Lawyer, Nigeria
Arnold Tsunga, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe
Brian Tamuka Kagoro, Uhai Africa Ltd, Harare, Zimbabwe
Bridget Musungu, Panafrican, Nairobi Kenya
Bushra Gamar Hussein, Executive Director, HUDO Centre, Kampala, Uganda
Bonaventure N’Coué MAWUVI, Journaliste et Défenseurs des Droits Humains, Lomé,Togo
Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
Chris Kwaja
Danford M. Chirwa, Dean, UCT Law
Donald Deya, Pan Africanist, Nairobi, Kenya
Dzimbabwe Chimbga, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe
Edigah Kavuravu, Human Rights Lawyer, Kenya
Femi Falana SAN, Human Rights Lawyer, Nigeria
Feyi Ogunade, Human Rights Lawyer
George Kegoro, Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya
Gitahi Githuku, Human Rights Defender, Nairobi, Kenya
Golda Keng, Advocacy and Campaigns Consultant, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Hakima Haithar, International Development Consultant, Johannesburg, South Africa
Ibrahima Kane: Ibrahima Kane, lawyer Senegal
Irene Mwendwa, Lawyer, Policy Uganda
Jok Madut Jok, Professor of Anthropology, Syracuse University and Director of The Sudd Institute
Khabele Matlosa
Martin Masiga, Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF)
Martin Mavenjina, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya
Musa Mwenye, SC, Former Attorney General of the Republic of Zambia
Nikiwe Kaunda, Mzuzu, Malawi
Otto Saki, Zimbabwe
Roland Ebole, Human Rights Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya
Roselyn Hanzi, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Sarah Mukasa
Sharon Nakandha, Lawyer, Uganda
Siphosami Malunga, Executive Director, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
Tiseke Kasambala, Chief of Party, Freedom House, Johannesburg, South Africa
Vusumuzi Sifile, Lusaka, Zambia
Washington Katema

In the headlines

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

Brave new world calls for finding one’s groove rather than copy-paste

Wednesday October 27 2021

When we do our SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analyses, we often times fail to address the greatest threat of all: Success. It is easier for a person to move from zero to good than it is to move from good to great. PHOTO | FILE

Summary

One of the legacies of Covid is that a lot of what we knew was disrupted, leaving us with new realities.
Similarly, your greatest strengths, therefore, will not be how similar you are to others but how different.
The ability to detach from yesterday's success is one of the key factors of sustainable success.

By WALE AKINYEMI

More by this Author

Last week I discussed the changing times and how people stuck in the past can never capture the future. One of the legacies of Covid is that a lot of what we knew was disrupted, leaving us with new realities.

The good news, however, is that there is always a way. How, then, does one go about creating a competitive business? The Bible says God found a unique way to attract the attention of Moses in order to free the Israelites from Egypt. He did something out of the ordinary and confronted Moses with a burning bush that did not diminish in the flame.

Likewise, in the process of recreation of self you must find your edge.

No two sunrises or sunsets are the same. That is why each is spectacular.

Similarly, your greatest strengths, therefore, will not be how similar you are to others but how different.

If you do not ask the right questions, you will not get the right answers; therefore, you will not be executing the right strategy.

The key questions concerning recreation right now are: Where lies my brilliance? My uniqueness? My 20 percent based on the 80/20 principle? The 80/20 principle states that 20 percent of what we engage in produces 80 percent of our results.

This is true of 20 percent of products accounting for 80 percent of sales, or wearing 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time and 20 percent of your carpet experiences 80 percent of wear and tear.

Only when these key questions on recreation have been answered can we move to the next level. Unfortunately, in our highly copycat society, once a person breaks through in an area, multitudes flock there. This mob mentality costs so much in resources lost due to copying or blind benchmarking.

Runaway success

The ability to detach from yesterday's success is one of the key factors of sustainable success. An example of innovative thinking is Sweden’s waste-to-energy programme, considered one of the most successful as only four percent of garbage makes it to landfills.

The rest is used to generate electricity to power homes and businesses. So successful was it that in 2012, there was a major crisis when they ran out of garbage. The nation of under 10 million began to import garbage. Makes one wonder about Africa’s potential given the volume of garbage she generates daily.

However, if all Africa does is copy others’ successes, she can never break through into what can be. The key, therefore, to breaking through is a mindset open to new things.

Identify the 20 percent that creates the 80 percent of your results, then engage your mind in different levels of in - novation, beginning with product innovation. What products can we deliver that maximise our brilliance, that utilises our 20 percent? Ponder these on the macro or micro level, for the next level of assignment I will give you. To be continued.

Wale Akinyemi is the convenor of the Street University (www.thestreetuniversity.com) and the chief transformation officer at PowerTalks; [email protected]

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

State silence gives murderers licence to target elderly people

Wednesday October 27 2021

A house that was torched after villagers accused a woman of practising witchcraft in Uasin Gishu, Kenya on March 1, 2017. Every year in Kenya, especially in Kisii County and the Coast, elderly men, and mostly women, are brutally killed on suspicion of being witches. PHOTO | NMG

Summary

The government’s silence has given murderers a licence to kill elderly citizens.
HelpAge International, an organisation that promotes the rights of the elderly across the globe, has researched the practice of witchcraft killings in Africa.
Talking about witchcraft killings or female circumcision or other dehumanising customs is not ideologically “sexy”.

By TEE NGUGI

More by this Author

Every year in Kenya, especially in Kisii County and the Coast, elderly men, and mostly women, are brutally killed on suspicion of being witches. No one is ever prosecuted for these murders.

The government’s silence has given murderers a licence to kill elderly citizens.

And the bloodletting continues. This past week, four elderly citizens of Kitutu Chache in Kisii were killed in the most horrific manner for being “witches”. Bystanders watched the massacre, taking photos and videos. In Kenya of the 21st century, elderly citizens are disposed of in the most barbaric way imaginable.

Some years ago, a video of elderly men and women being burnt alive in Kisii made rounds on social media. One old woman feebly attempted to flee but a young man kicked her back into the flames.

An old man sat with his hands on his lap, not even flinching, as the fire consumed him. After such horrific killings, one would have expected a manhunt to be launched to capture the murderers and those who had accused the victims of witchcraft.

But little was done. We pride ourselves as being a country aspiring to ideals of enlightenment and progress, yet we tolerate medieval barbarism.

HelpAge International, an organisation that promotes the rights of the elderly across the globe, has researched the practice of witchcraft killings in Africa.

Their findings can inform policy and laws to bring this barbarity to a halt. One finding of the study shows that in places where there is little education, coupled with economic deprivation, calamities are explained as being caused by witchcraft.

Another finding explains why only the elderly are seen as witches. Because they live alone and mostly in isolation, and because smoke makes their eyes red, and because they mutter to themselves and collect odd bits and pieces, the elderly fit the superstitious imagination of a witch.

The study also found that witchcraft was often an excuse to expropriate land from the elderly.

Whatever the reason does not diminish the barbarity in any way. Why has the political class and intellectuals looked the other way in the face of this medieval practice? The political class is only interested in votes and, therefore, avoids actions that might jeopardise that all-consuming interest.

Politicians are also not interested in a real issue that will demand solutions. It’s too taxing for their brains. They are more inclined towards politics of lies and tribal propaganda. It’s easy politicking and rake in the votes.

The intellectuals, on the other hand, are still busy explaining how colonialism corrupted and underdeveloped Africa. Talking about witchcraft killings or female circumcision or other dehumanising customs is not ideologically “sexy”. Such talk undermines the idea of a utopian African universe despoiled by colonialism.

They will be forced to admit that their beloved ubuntu is a myth. Caught between the rock of political apathy and the hard place of reckless intellectual idealism, murder of the elderly will continue to soil our collective conscience.

Tee Ngugi is a Nairobi-based political commentator

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Wednesday October 27 2021

An English test. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

Summary

The unemployed health workers were meant to serve in the UK’s National Health Service before returning to work in Kenya.

By WINNIE ATIENO

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Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has decried the failure of health workers to pass English language tests required for United Kingdom jobs.

Jobless Kenyan nurses and other health workers recently got a chance to work in the UK as part of a new scheme requested by Kenya this year.

The unemployed health workers were meant to serve in the UK’s National Health Service before returning to work in Kenya.

But CS Kagwe revealed on Wednesday that only a minority of those who applied qualified for the jobs.

"Out of 300 health workers sent for an English language test only 10 passed. We had negotiated for clinical workers for job exports but this turn of events is unfortunate," he said.

He then urged health workers to work hard to pass the employment standards set for jobs abroad.

Speaking during the Kenya Clinical Officers Association scientific conference in the coastal city of Mombasa, Mr Kagwe said that despite this, the government will continue to negotiate for Kenyan health workers to work in Europe and the Middle East.

He also refuted claims that the government has resorted to exporting its labour workforce abroad instead of employing them.

"This is a rumour. Geographical boundaries will not stop us from working. Countries we are exporting health workers to are not doing us a favour. We are helping them when they are in need," he said.

He added that Kenya will continue to help people get jobs in Europe and the Middle East.

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

Comesa worry as NTBs boost low-value trade

Wednesday October 27 2021

A weighbridge along Mombasa-Nairobi road. A survey by the Comesa Secretariat recommended that governments consider reducing the cost of trading formally and enhance the efficiency of border controls to improve compliance with existing trade-related regulations. PHOTO | FILE

Summary

The increasing non-trade barriers (NTBs) are to blame for the proliferation of informal trade and the decline in value of exports to $9.7 billion in 2020 from $10.9 billion in 2019.
The survey reviewed member states’ policies related to the formalisation of the informal economy, focusing on informal trade drivers, the impacts of informality on the economy, including on government revenue and on productivity.

By ANTHONY KITIMO

More by this Author

Increasing informal trade among the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) states has resulted in 11 percent decline of the value of intra-Comesa total exports.

A survey by the Comesa Secretariat led by consultant Dr Evarist Mugisa has concluded that the increasing non-trade barriers (NTBs) are to blame for the proliferation of informal trade and the decline in value of exports to $9.7 billion in 2020 from $10.9 billion in 2019.

The 37th Meeting of the Comesa Trade and Customs Committee on October 15 heard that the low intra-regional trade was also a result of existing gaps in information on trading opportunities, regulatory requirements and factors that inform business decisions on production of goods and trade.

The survey reviewed member states’ policies related to the formalisation of the informal economy, focusing on informal trade drivers, the impacts of informality on the economy, including on government revenue and on productivity.

It also identified the policies that member States have instituted to address informality.

The study is part of the implementation of the Small-Scale Cross Border Trade Initiative funded under the 11th European Development Fund.

Simplified Trade Regime

This project is intended to increase formal small-scale cross-border trade flows in the Comesa/tripartite region, leading to higher revenue collection for governments at the borders as well as increased security and higher incomes for small-scale cross-border traders.

The meeting identified ways on how to eliminate NTBs, implement trade facilitation measures including Comesa digital Free Trade Area, how to advance services liberalisation and build effective platforms for trade promotion and e-commerce.

The study also recommended that governments consider reducing the cost of trading formally and enhance the efficiency of border controls to improve compliance with existing trade-related regulations and addressing the implementation challenges of the Comesa Simplified Trade Regime.

Comesa Assistant Secretary General in charge of Programmes, Dr Kipyego Cheluget said; “If well implemented these could significantly increase intra-Comesa trade, reduce time and cost, increase regional competitiveness, create jobs and positively impact on living standards of our people.”

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

African airlines projected to acquire $160bn planes

Wednesday October 27 2021

Kenya Airways Boeing plane at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Summary

Boeing says Africa’s strong, long-term growth prospects for commercial aviation are closely tied to the continent’s projected three percent annual economic growth over the next 20 years.
The US-based manufacturer also notes that the continent will require aftermarket services such as manufacturing and repair of these aircraft worth $235 billion.
The 2021 Africa CMO also projects that airlines in Africa will grow their fleets by 3.6 percent per year to accommodate passenger traffic growth of 5.4 percent annually.

By GERALD ANDAE

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Plane manufacturer Boeing forecasts that Africa’s airlines will invest $160 billion in acquiring additional 1,030 aircraft by 2040 to meet the growing demand for flying in the continent, raising hopes for the recovery of the sector that has been hard hit by Covid-19.

Boeing says Africa’s strong, long-term growth prospects for commercial aviation are closely tied to the continent’s projected three percent annual economic growth over the next 20 years.

Initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area and Single African Air Transport Market are expected to stimulate trade, air travel and economic cooperation.

The US-based manufacturer also notes that the continent will require aftermarket services such as manufacturing and repair of these aircraft worth $235 billion, enabling growth for air travel and economies across the region.

“Africa has healthy opportunities to expand travel and tourism, coinciding with increasing urbanisation and rising incomes,” said Randy Heisey, Boeing managing director of commercial marketing for the Middle East and Africa.

“African carriers are well-positioned to support inter-regional traffic growth and capture market share by offering services that efficiently connect passengers and enable commerce within the continent,” he added.

The company shared the projection as part of the 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the firm’s long-term assessment of demand for commercial planes and services.

Boeing said the region’s middle class and working population is projected to double by the end of the forecast period, driving increased demand for air travel.

The 2021 Africa CMO also projects that airlines in Africa will grow their fleets by 3.6 percent per year to accommodate passenger traffic growth of 5.4 percent annually, the third-highest growth rate in the world.

According to Boeing, single-aisle jets are expected to account for more than 70 percent of commercial deliveries, with 740 new planes mainly supporting domestic and inter-regional demand.

In addition, African carriers are estimated to need 250 new widebodies, including passenger and cargo models, to support long-haul routes and air freight growth.

The firm also projects that 80 percent of African jet deliveries are expected to serve fleet growth with more sustainable, fuel-efficient models such as the Boeing 737, 777X and 787 Dreamliner, with 20 percent of deliveries replacing older airplanes.

Kenya Airways operates a fleet of Boeings for its long-range routes and a number of Embraer aircraft. Last year, the carrier said it was looking at Boeing as the best replacement for some of its aircraft that are due for retiring.

The estimated demand for aviation personnel will rise to 63,000 new professionals, including 19,000 pilots, 20,000 technicians and 24,000 cabin crew members.

As a global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial aircraft, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries.

The company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact.

Boeing says that its diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.

[email protected]

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

Beyond the war in South Sudan, youth look at a future driven by technology

Wednesday October 27 2021

Denaya Dennis (right) trains South Sudanese youth on tech skills at the Koneta Hub in Juba. PHOTO | MAURA AJAK

Summary

In the capital Juba and other towns, a growing number of young people are overcoming the effects of years of conflict that cost their parents and grandparents their future.
Koneta Hub, which describes itself as “a youth-led organisation that is focused on providing community-led solutions to the socioeconomic issues affecting our society,” provides free training to youth.
The cybersecurity programme on Safety Comm is in partnership with the National Communication Authority and international partners, who are also trying to increase internet speeds to give it a wider outreach.

By MAURA AJAK

More by this Author

The image the world has of South Sudan is one of war, but the youth of the world’s youngest country are determined to create a different reality.

In the capital Juba and other towns, a growing number of young people are overcoming the effects of years of conflict that cost their parents and grandparents their future. They have chosen media they are comfortable in: technology and innovation.

Tech hubs and online initiatives have sprung up to tackle the everyday problems young people and their families face. They are targeting a range of issues from the environmental crisis, providing alternative modes of fuel delivery to their villages, mitigating fake news and misinformation, to opening up the digital world to girls by teaching them vital skills.

In God’s premises

Koneta Hub, which describes itself as “a youth-led organisation that is focused on providing community-led solutions to the socioeconomic issues affecting our society,” provides free training to youth. Unusually, its offices are located in the compound of a church, whose congregation make up the bulk of its clients. Koneta focuses mostly on health, education and peacebuilding.

The force behind Koneta is the executive director, Denaya Dennis, the 33-year-old ICT specialist who has always been passionate about technology. His ideas and projects focus on building the capacity of young people. He offers free courses to high school graduates, university students and jobless youth facing hard economic times.

“Our programme mostly targets youth, but we have realised that there is a huge gap. The coronavirus-induced lockdown meant that our church was closed and people could not connect through in-person meetings. They did not have the necessary skills to connect online and listen to sermons, like other churches in different parts of the world,” Denaya said.

People lost their jobs and many others lacked the resources to invest in digital equipment and be connected to the world.

Koneta started by training church leaders on how to use digital tools. They gained skills in engaging online, and even started hosting meetings virtually using Zoom and other platforms.

“We also have trainings specifically for women. We know they need the skills and we have special packages for them, like digital storytelling using photography. We started with 15 young women.

Now we have different interest groups, each receiving different packages to enable them to build their capacities,” the director added.

The initiative has a stem project that encourages students preparing to join university to become developers and study science courses. There are activities in health and programmes that specialise in producing energy-saving stoves. Students also learn to recycle waste and make briquettes to mitigate the impact of climate change, thus improving people’s health and the environment as well.

“There is a lot of waste here,” Denaya said, “so we can make use of it to make briquettes, which serve as a substitute for charcoal. This saves the trees that would have been cut down to make the charcoal. We produce briquettes from recycled materials and use them in energy-saving stoves, which we also make.

You can cook using a briquette and not think about charcoal and burning trees.

We also know that smoke from wood fire is not good for our health.” Koneta has partnered with Afri-Labs, a network of innovators and hubs in Africa that focuses on capacity building for innovation hubs. Denaya’s initiative is one of the beneficiaries of the activities that Afri-Labs focuses on in South Sudan.

Denaya also works with peers from the East African region to sell electronic goods and other items online. It has also created a healthy competition with other East African tech hubs, which has led to the development of solutions unique to South Sudan’s conditions.

The mobile platform has drawn innovative hands working on such solutions. The country’s first mobile money platform was launched last year. Online taxi-hailing application Shilu-Ana, literally meaning “take me,” is one of the new ventures.

Still, youth who acquire tech skills at places like Koneta find opportunities limited, and many often end up working for non-governmental organisations, and not in technology.

“South Sudan started at a very high speed 10 years ago. We had a lot of money and, even though the economy was good, almost everyone was reluctant. Then things happened,” Denaya lamented.

War, fake news and fact-checking

In South Sudan, like in most of Africa, most social media users live in urban areas. The multiple wars and conflicts the country has suffered have spawned a lot of fake news. Several online platforms have sprung up with the aim of countering the false information.

211Check is one such platform. The fact-checking project started in 2019 and its growth picked up with the outbreak of Covid-19. It strives to verify information about South Sudan on various social media platforms. It has become popular with youth interested in building a career in that field and has received many online applications for the courses it offers.

211Check verifies information using reliable sources and official government statements. The platform trains bloggers, journalists, media activists and community workers to better their capacity and raise their awareness about the danger of fake news and misinformation.

Emmanuel Bida Thomas, managing editor, says the platform has trained almost 1,000 youth from different fields.

The journalist says that as conflicts and wars die down, the digital space is growing. Many hubs are trying to engage the youth and influence them to build a life for themselves by harnessing the possibilities offered by new technology.

Currently, South Sudan is trying to digitise many of its services. It is aiming to catch up with regional partners in instituting digital tax payments, and several other projects around government services are planned.

Ironically, war might be fuelling digital growth. Many people in war zones who were cut off because of the fighting are now more motivated to embrace digital tools and are joining social media to reconnect with a world from which they had been cut.

The number of internet users in South Sudan is low, with some estimates putting it at 900,000 as at January 2021, in a country of 11 million people. Young innovators see that to mean there is a lot of room for growth and space for new offerings.

Nelson Kwaje, 30, is the chairman of #defyhatenow South Sudan. The platform describes itself as an initiative that “works on providing community-based and data-driven solutions to the problem of hate speech, disinformation and misinformation”.

Kwaje is also one of the founders of Scenius Hub, a youth tech innovation hub based in Juba.

“I am passionate about youth, transformation and technology. I have been in this technology stuff for the past seven years in Kenya, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and here in South Sudan. Mostly, I have been involved in setting up the ecosystem here, founding the internet governance forum, and I am a member of the international society,” he said.

Battling cyber criminals

The #defyhatenow umbrella has a community of poets, musicians, artists, and other talents who gather at the centre to practise their trades. Many people come to record podcasts, music and vlogs. Recording and making videos are the most common activities young people engage in at the hub, and reflect an interesting and important form of expression.

Kwaje, who also teaches tech classes, is the founder of the South Sudan Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which has been credited for shaping ICT development in the country.

Cyber criminals have also forced a creative response. Safety Comm is a cybersecurity platform that helps people recover their hacked accounts. It is the go-to place for victims of digital crimes such as impersonation.

Ariik Robert, the man behind Safety Comm, had always wanted to work in cyber safety and help people. He looks up to Kwaje and considers him his mentor. He recalls that he and Kwaje brainstormed on the idea that later gave birth to the cybersecurity firm. It is now a success and has helped many people to recover their hacked social media accounts.

Cyber criminals have also forced a creative response. Safety Comm is a cybersecurity platform that helps people recover their hacked accounts. PHOTO | FILE

“Security is paramount. We make sure we give people tips on cyber hygiene and our services guide them to improve their understanding of cyber safety,” Ariik explained.

He added that the biggest danger to social media users is impersonation and identity theft, saying numerous people have fallen victim.

The cybersecurity programme on Safety Comm is in partnership with the National Communication Authority and international partners, who are also trying to increase internet speeds to give it a wider outreach.

GoGirls

In its 10 years of their country’s independence, South Sudan’s women have been fighting to hold their own in building capacity in the digital space.

Girls are struggling to overcome traditional norms and bad cultural practices that work against them. They are discovering a world that has the potential to change the narrative in their communities and show that girls can transform the world through digital know-how.

Yine Yanke and her colleagues at Go- Girls ICT Initiative had been working in the digital sector for six years for the community and girls in particular, when their work came to the attention of a public university.

The University of Juba requested that girls from the College of Computer Science & Information Technology get together with those the organisation was mentoring to celebrate the International Girls in ICT Day in 2015. The university and secondary school students got to learn more about the importance of ICT.

“Because of the very low number of girls studying these courses, poor participation in classroom activities, and poor performance, we felt the need to change this narrative. This led to the birth of GoGirls ICT Initiative in 2015. Together with other women in the fields of computer science, information systems, hacktivism, and peacebuilding, we created the not-for-profit initiative,” Yine explained.

The initiative aimed to engage, educate, and empower girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with an integration of the arts. The girls assumed the mantle of drivers of problem solving, as they confronted the challenges facing their communities. The 10 female members GoGirls provide schoolgirls with the requisite knowledge in the digital space.

“Our activities cut across all levels of education, technology, and gender. That alone has given us an upper hand in pitching our different approaches to solving challenges in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) from a gender perspective to both the public and private sectors,” Yine said.

Girls are discovering their potential to change the narrative in their communities and transform them through digital know-how. PHOTO | MAURA AJAK

In recognition of the work the team was doing, the co-founder was this year appointed a member of the board of the National Communication Authority in South Sudan. To its founders, this is an acknowledgment that GoGirls’ various activities have had a national impact.

The initiative continues to advocate the inclusion of girls and women in tech as a catalyst for economic development.

Most tech hubs and initiatives face common challenges. Top on the list is lack of sponsorship and financial resources to set up programmes. Those that survive the initial stages find it difficult to grow.

Another problem is getting skilled manpower to manage the initiatives.

Most startups have difficulty sourcing the right talent and cannot compete with established private sector entities and international NGOs, which snap up tech workers and can afford them.

However, looking at the tech field in South Sudan, it is clear that the new initiatives have not allowed these problems to keep them down.

Additional reporting by Diing Magot

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

Somalia militia agrees to ceasefire in central region

Wednesday October 27 2021

Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Karie addresses delegates at the Somali election negotiation in Mogadishu, Somalia on May 27, 2021. PHOTO | REUTERS

By AGGREY MUTAMBO

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By ABDULKADIR KHALIF

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Somalia militia, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa (ASWJ), has agreed to a ceasefire following talks brokered by the local business community, ending days of bloodshed in Galmudug federal state.

Regional state President Abdi Karie Qoorqoor told the media on Tuesday night that the group, seen as moderate and who had been government allies, agreed to leave Gur-el town following night-long talks.

“They will leave town tomorrow morning, reportedly heading north to an area called Godwiil,” Mr Qoorqoor said,

“The town is now under the control of pro-Galmudug forces, and the people who had fled town are now trickling back.”

It was unclear what offers the group agreed to or if there would be further negotiations.

The AWSJ was allied with government forces against al-Shabaab but fell out over power-sharing arrangements in the local federal administration.

However, Mr Qoorqoor vowed he defend the state “at any cost”, calling on any groups with grievances to present them through legal channels.

“I can only welcome concerns presented peacefully, not violence.”

Elections

The decision to lay down the arms could now allow the state to complete its pending election for two senate seats, allowing the country to focus on polls of 275 MPs in the Lower House.

Earlier, Somalia’s international partners raised concerns that the continual violence in the Galmudug State of Somalia could derail the country’s electoral calendar and security programmes.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the UN, the African Union, the European Union and other partners warned the fighting was already raising a new humanitarian crisis and could derail other government programmes for the country.

“Not only is the conflict causing severe humanitarian suffering to the people of the area, but it is also distracting from the urgent priorities of completing the electoral process and countering al-Shabaab,” they said.

Heavy fighting erupted on Sunday morning between Galmudug State forces supported by Somali National Army (SNA) units and militias loyal to ASWJ, which left more than 120 people dead, according to Somalia government officials, most of whom were civilians.

The fighting, though, has an added danger of emboldening militant group al-Shabaab. Previously, ASWJ collaborated with government forces to chase al-Shabaab out of towns in Galmudug before they differed on government slots in local administrations.

Fighting ensued as Somali forces fought back to retake Gur-el, a strategic town in Galmudug conquered by the group early this month.

The new battle led to the death of Major Abdifatah Fayle, a commander in the elite American-trained Danab unit in Galmudug.

The moderate Islamist ASWJ group is led by Sheikh Shakir Ali Hassan, a cleric who convinced some SNA soldiers to desert and join the ranks of his militias. Relations with the authorities worsened after representatives were axed from a proposed unity local government, raising their agitation.

As a result, some of its leaders, including Sheikh Hassan went on a temporary exile.

The group, however, remerged earlier in October to reclaim its share in the election of federal parliamentarians in Galmudug State, capturing Guri-el town to assert its influence.

War emerged after talks between President Qoorqoor and the ASWJ group failed.

The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, stated that over 100,000 people had been displaced and needed humanitarian assistance.

By midday, Galmudug Information Minister Ahmed Falagle told the media, “Our forces have overwhelmed the militias, and we are restoring the order.”

However, reports indicate that fighting still going on.

In the headlines

AU suspends Sudan over coup

Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU activities until it restores a civilian government.

Kenyan nurses fail English test for UK jobs

Kenya had secured jobs in UK National Health Service for its unemployed health workers.

African airlines forecast to buy $160bn planes

South Sudan youth look at a future driven by tech

Sudan PM Hamdok set free

Verdict on EAC admission of DRC set for November

New 48 fellows to join global Ford programme

Wednesday October 27 2021

Ford Foundation President Darren Walker. The Ford Foundation has expanded its global fellowship by including 48 new Fellows to address the inequalities brought about by the Covid-19. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NMG

Summary

The new Fellows, some from East Africa, will join the initial 24 Fellows to address the crisis of inequality, and this has been compounded by vaccine inequity, climate change, rising authoritarianism, and racial and gender inequity.
The fellowship provides individualised coaching to help grow leadership skills along with efforts to help Fellows reach a wider audience. Each new fellow will receive a no-strings-attached $25,000 stipend.
Over 10 years, the programme is looking to build a global network of 240 Fellows who will work together to build a community of practice, strengthening their networks with change-makers in social justice, build influence, and advance ideas and solutions across issues, borders, sectors, and contexts.

By FRED OLUOCH

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The Ford Foundation has expanded its global fellowship by including 48 new Fellows to address the inequalities brought about by the Covid-19.

The new Fellows, some from East Africa, will join the initial 24 Fellows to address the crisis of inequality, and this has been compounded by vaccine inequity, climate change, rising authoritarianism, and racial and gender inequity.

The picked Fellows are leaders from communities who face injustice head-on and help them cultivate their ideas and energy in solving long-standing inequalities exposed or exacerbated by the pandemic.

Those from East Africa include Noah Mirembe Gabigogo, a co-founder and director of the Taala Foundation in Uganda; Michael Richard Katagaya, the team leader of Evidence and Methods Lab in Uganda; Ian Damian Tarimo, executive director, Tai, based in Dar Es Salaam; and Angela Benedicto, founder, and executive director, Wote Sawa Domestic Workers Mwanza, Tanzania.

Wider audience

The fellowship provides individualised coaching to help grow leadership skills along with efforts to help Fellows reach a wider audience. Each new fellow will receive a no-strings-attached $25,000 stipend.

“We are scaling the Ford Global Fellows faster because this crisis moment requires bolder commitments to creating a more just and equitable future. People who are most proximate to injustice are stepping up and surfacing solutions to local challenges driven by global structures of inequality. More than ever, these emerging leaders across the globe need each other to strengthen and accelerate their ideas,” said Adria Goodson, director of the Ford Global Fellowship.

Launched in 2020 in New York, the Ford Global Fellows is a 10-year, $50 million programme that aims to support leaders across the globe to shift structures and systems of inequality over time.

Over 10 years, the programme is looking to build a global network of 240 Fellows who will work together to build a community of practice, strengthening their networks with change-makers in social justice, build influence, and advance ideas and solutions across issues, borders, sectors, and contexts.

The Foundation is also extending the 2020 Fellows for two more years. In total, there will be 72 active Fellows who will be working to build a community that consists of all present and future FGF Fellows globally.

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